


Of Accidental Confessions and Popsicles

by Eerie (Ewereka)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: BroJohn - Freeform, Fluff and Angst and Humor, M/M, cliches and tropes abound
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-08 12:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1940871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ewereka/pseuds/Eerie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“I think you’re making this too black and white,” John muttered, brushing Dave’s hand away irritably. “You can recognize that someone of the same sex is attractive without being gay or being, you know, actually attracted to them.”</i>
</p><p> </p><p>  <i>“Except that you are attracted to him.”</i></p><p> </p><p>  <i>“Yeah,” John finally responded, “yeah, I am.”</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Accidental Confessions and Popsicles

**Author's Note:**

> A work a few years in progress, sadly enough. Thanks to everyone who helped me get it to this point and humored me when I talked about it. God have mercy on my soul for all the cliches and tropes. I'm going to fanfic hell.
> 
> Make-outs, sexual content but not the deed itself, foul language, no ages stated but considerable age gap heavily implied. Archive warning for underage has been applied just to be safe.

Under his cologne, Bro Strider smelled like steel and sweat, and damn if it wasn't the sexiest thing.

He had embraced John at the airport as soon as Dave was out of his way, crying out in the thickest country twang John had ever heard, "my baby boy's finally home!" in a successful attempt to draw attention and embarrass the two boys. That hadn’t been the most embarrassing part of the situation for John, however - the embarrassment came when he suddenly found himself noticing how warm Bro was, how nice he smelled, how closely they were pressed together, how strong those arms were around him, how it would be nice to just rest his head in that smooth curve where Bro's neck and shoulder met and oh no this was not happening.

Bro had insisted the boys use the restroom before they drove home ("I ain't making any pit-stops because y'all got little bladders - don‘t give me that look, Dave, I know you drank a couple quarts of juice in the car") so John started to bring it up in the men’s room.

"Hey, Dave, have you ever noticed that your brother smells like--"

"Are you fuckin' _kidding_ me, John?" Dave shouted, startling a man in the stalls behind them, making him jump and crash against the stall with an echoing thud. "We just fuckin' met, finally, we are standin' here with our dicks out, and you wanna talk to me about my brother‘s _odor?_ What the fuck is wrong with you, John? No. Just, no."

"Jeez, Dave, you don't have to get all upset about it!" John muttered, zipping himself up and going to wash his hands. "It was just weird, he smells like… like swords, and metal and stuff."

Dave rolled his eyes behind his shades, turning on the tap at the sink with his elbow. "Talking at urinals is what's weird, John. Sniffing my brother, also very weird. It's so weird that it almost fuckin' looped back around to normal, yet it's so irredeemably weird that it can never return to its life from before. It used to have goals. It used to have dreams. It was going to college to become a lawyer, but it gambled away all of its money at a cheap casino in Nevada and now it has to live on the street, just barely keeping itself alive with each passing day. It makes money by performing interpretive dances on the side of the interstate--"

"Shut up, kid, some of us are tryin' to piss in peace!" shouted a man in another stall behind them. John and Dave both bit back laughter, rushing back into the terminal, their conversation dropped for the time being.

\-------------

"Okay, but seriously," John continued later, between muttered expletives at Pro Snacker 3, "the puppets and the rapping and stuff are so lame, but your brother isn't unattractive."

Dave snorted, flicking a few buttons and causing his character to do a fairly acrobatic pirouette. " 'Not homosexual' my ass, I knew you liked the beef truncheon."

John choked on a sip of soda, nearly snorting it out through his nose. He coughed, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand and glaring sidelong at his smirking friend. "Okay, first of all, ew, don't ever say that again, what the hell kind of euphemism is that even. And I didn't say I was gay, I just said your brother wasn't ugly-- oh, lame, he's stuck again!" His character onscreen had become caught inside a moving car, and he reached out to press the reset button on the console.

"Sure, right, but ‘not ugly,’ that's dork code for 'I wanna bone your brother.' " Dave chuckled, leaning back on the futon and lofting a brow over his shades. "Dude, it's okay, it’s no big deal. Nothing about it bothers me. And I pretty much knew you'd end up with a thing for him."

“Yeah right, since when?”

“Since that time on Skype?”

"What time on Skype?" The words came out clipped and just a little too high - of course he knew exactly which incident Dave was alluding to, but there was no way he was going to act like he knew immediately - though the heat creeping into his cheeks would be a dead giveaway, John thought.

Dave grinned knowingly, selecting a new level as the game started up again. "Go on, act like you don't know. He didn't know we were talking and he was walking around behind me in his underwear, and when you saw, you turned so red I thought your eyes were gonna pop right outta their sockets. It would've been endearing but you were so distracted by him that you could barely keep up conversation."

"Oh, dear God, I didn't." John's face reddened once more, now. "Augh, I can't believe it! I thought I'd kept myself under control!"

"No, man, not even a little bit. It was… it was really very sad." He snickered, adjusting his shades and directing his skater into John's. "But, hey, I think you should go for it."

“For fuck’s sake, Dave, stop it, your head is lodged in my stomach again.” Scowling, he tossed his controller aside and drew his knees up to his chest, hiding his flushed cheeks against them and murmuring muffled, humiliated noises against himself. “ ‘You should go for it,’ you’ve gotta be _kidding_ me. He’s at least twice my age, and he’s your brother, and-- and he’s--”

“A guy?” Dave suggested, rolling his eyes and clapping a hand against his friend’s shoulder. “John, at some point you’re just going to have to admit that, maybe, in some ways, you are not strictly straight. I’m not saying you’re gay, but – I mean, you just admitted you’ve ogled him before, and you’ve been going on about how hot he is, and that’s not usually something an exclusively straight guy does.”

“I think you’re making this too black and white,” John muttered, brushing Dave’s hand away irritably. “You can recognize that someone of the same sex is attractive without being gay or being, you know, actually attracted to them.”

“Except that you are attracted to him.”

“Yeah,” John finally responded, “yeah, I am.”

\-------------

Though the lights of the city shone in and bathed most of the apartment with a dim light, the hallway between Dave’s bedroom and the bathroom was windowless and dark. John groped his way back to Dave’s room just after midnight, slowly, right hand against the wall and left hand held out to his side to feel for the corner where he’d have to turn. The palm of his left hand struck something with a quiet thump, and he jumped back, skin prickling.

“Whoa, calm down there, kiddo. It’s just me.”

Right. That was going to calm him down.

“O-oh, hey,” John chirped, and his voice was an octave too high, and this was already embarrassing. He laughed quietly, clearing his throat in an attempt to make it seem as though that was the reason for his squeaking voice, just a frog in his throat, he wasn’t nervous about talking to Bro at all, nope. “Sorry, I’m not used to navigating in the dark like this. Just headed back to Dave’s room. Yeah.”

“You sure ‘bout that?” Bro murmured, bending down to John’s eye-level and lofting a brow - even in the darkness he was wearing those ridiculous anime shades, what the hell. “You weren’t tryin’ to peep in on Dave‘s big bro? It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened. His friends sure do get curious, sometimes.”

John balked, face going several shades of red and indignant. “Ex-excuse me?” he chirped, shoulders hunching defensively. “No, I wasn’t trying to ‘peep on’ you! You‘re making out w-- you’re making me out to be some kind of pervert!”

Bro chuckled, and God, it was amazing, a deep, rumbling sound like a storm rolling in. “Hey, you don’t gotta get all up in arms over it. I was jokin’, kid, jokin’ - though that little slip-up of yours was pretty Freudian. Pretty cute, too. You got somethin’ you should be confessing to me?”

“No!” John hissed, and Bro’s quiet laughter made it obvious that he’d answered too quickly. Busted. “I mean it. There’s nothing, nothing I need to confess. Stop looking at me like that!”

“How would you know how I’m lookin’ at you? Are you gettin’ flustered, l’il man?” And even if it was too dark to see, John could tell, he could just tell that Bro was smirking at him, all smug and self-satisfied, and he didn’t know if he was angry or just frustrated by it.

Well, no – he was definitely frustrated in some way.

“I can tell by how your voice sounds,” he muttered, reaching out to shove lightly at Bro’s chest, to move him out of the way, but damn, the guy worked out and it was obvious just by the feel of him and he was shirtless and perfect and oh, this just wasn’t fair.

“Aw, shit, you’re actually mad? Hey, I’m sorry, kid.” And suddenly Bro’s voice was even and serious and soothing, his hand going up to ruffle John’s hair, and John thought he was going to melt against him right then and there. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I‘m used to jokin‘ around with Dave, so I guess I figured it’d be all right. I’ll stop teasin’ you, okay?”

“No, I’m not-- I’m not mad.” John gave an exasperated sigh, leaning up just the slightest bit into Bro’s touch; he hoped he wouldn’t notice, but of course he knew he would. Bro noticed everything, it seemed; it didn’t take long to catch on to that. “You’re just-- you’re very frustrating.”

“Answer me honestly here - am _I_ what’s frustratin‘ you, really?”

John swallowed hard, shifting his gaze away even in the dark hallway. “Well-- in some ways, yeah, you‘re definitely frustrating me. I guess it’s mostly me.”

“So you’ve got a little crush, huh?” Bro’s hand dropped to John’s shoulder to rub at it comfortingly - his hands were rough and calloused but warm, and his touch was gentle, and John wished he could step forward and bury his face in his broad chest.

“I didn’t say that.” John huffed, pushing Bro’s hand away despite himself, trying to seem affronted. It wasn’t any use, and he knew it, and that just made him even angrier at himself. Frustrated tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and he reached up to tug at his hair in irritation. “I-- I can’t help it! You’re so lame, but you’re so-- you’re tall and handsome and you smell amazing and, God, your stupid accent-- your voice-- it’s like a stupid thunderstorm or something, and I just-- I’m not gay! I’m not, but you’re so uncool and perfect and I want to kiss you and oh, my God, I just said that out loud shit _fuck._ ”

There was a long, awkward pause, and Bro made that little, low chuckle again; the hand on John’s shoulder wrapped around his back to pull him nearer. “Then why don’t you?”

John blanched, staring up at the older man and laughing; a dry, humorless sound. “Ha, ha. Really funny, Bro! ‘Oh, the kid confessed to me, I’d better make fun of him.’ Really nice of you.”

“Hm? Gimme a little credit, I’m dead serious.”

“Sure, of course you are. This was stupid; it’s not like a guy like you could ever go for a guy like me, anyway.” He shoved at Bro’s chest, brushing past him to head back to Dave’s room.

“Hey, stop that. I told you, I‘m not playing.” Bro snagged him by the back of his shirt, flipping John around to face him and pinning him back against the wall - he knelt down to bring himself to John’s eye level. “Listen to me, John.”

He felt his heart skip a beat, very conscious of the fact that this was the first time Bro had actually used his name, while pinning him down no less, and John licked his lips, forcing himself to meet Bro’s gaze now that his eyes had adjusted to the dark. “…I’m listening.”

Sighing through his nose, Bro reached up to remove his hat, threading a hand through his hair. “Look… I’m not gonna lie to you. You’re really fuckin’ cute and all. But you’re a hell of a lot younger than I am, you clearly got some issues with your sexuality or somethin’, and I honestly don’t think you know what you’re gettin’ into here. I don’t want you doin’ anything you’ll regret. And that ain’t even mentioning how Dave would react to it.”

“Dave encouraged me,” John admitted, staring down at his feet. “He told me that I ogled you over webcam once, and that I should go for it.” His face burned red as Bro chuckled, and John folded his arms over his chest petulantly.

“Hey, no, I’m not laughin’ at you, don’t get upset. I’m laughin’ because I think it’s bizarre that my brother is tryin’ to hook us up. Damn, what a good kid, lookin‘ out for the two of us.”

“You think that him trying to hook you up with someone half your age makes him a good kid?”

“You ain’t got room to talk, you’re the one trying to hook up with someone twice your age.”

“You’re the geezer considering it!”

“Thought we covered that. If you were a little more secure in yourself, your sexuality or whatever issue it is you’re havin’ with all this, we might not need to be havin’ this conversation.” Bro grinned, placing his cap back down on his head and standing back up to his full height. Shrugging, he reached out to ruffle John’s hair again, turning to continue on his way down the hall. This time it was John who stopped him, throwing his arms around Bro’s waist from behind and stumbling a little behind him.

“Don’t treat me like a child.” Huffing irritably, he nestled his face between Bro’s shoulder blades, words muffled by the older man’s shirt. “I know I’m younger than you, and I don’t know if I’m gay or whatever, or if it even matters, but I’m attracted to you, and I know what I want. I’m not stupid and I’m a not a little kid.”

There was a brief pause, and then, sighing, Bro turned around to cradle John’s cheek in his hand, his face drawn and serious. John blushed and pressed into his touch, chewing at his lip nervously. “John,” Bro said, “as much as I like talkin’ to you, I gotta piss like a racehorse. Let me get to the bathroom.”

Still flushed red, John balked, his face contorting in frustration and embarrassment as he turned and fled. He bumped into the wall a few times on his way back down the hall, cursing to himself. A quiet, “dude, what the fuck?” came from the floor of Dave’s room as his flustered friend stumbled in and tripped over him.

Bro sighed, smirking to himself as he turned and slipped into the bathroom. “Shit. Guess I kept teasing him after all.”

\-------------

“Daaaaaaaave, it’s too freaking hot!”

“That’s how Texas is, dumbass. I told you that before we even talked about visiting. Quit whining.”

“That doesn’t make it any less hot! I’m sweating like a pig!” John complained, ignoring him and kicking his feet in the air as he hung upside-down off of the futon with his shirt pushed up around his collarbone. “Get me a Popsicle.”

“Pigs don’t sweat. They don‘t even have sweat glands.“ Dave arched an eyebrow, giving his friend a look. “We don’t have Popsicles. We don’t even have food. You know that, too.”

“Yeah, which is why you guys are all malnourished and I have to cook for you. Seriously, can you go get me a Popsicle? The store isn’t that far away.”

“It might as well be far away in this heat,” Dave grumbled, pushing his shades further up on his nose. “Popsicles ain’t that great, just drink some AJ.”

“Aw, shit, did someone say Popsicles?” the elder Strider hooted, jumping over the back off the futon and kicking his brother onto the floor in one smooth motion. “I want one, too. Dave, go get us some fuckin’ Popsicles.”

“Ow, shit!” Dave rolled onto the floor and stretched out there, reluctantly standing after a moment. “Bro, why don’t you go get ‘em?”

“ ‘Cause it’s fuckin’ hot out, l’il man. I ain’t goin’ out in that.” Bro grinned, and John snickered, sitting up properly on the futon. “Or we can strife it out to see who goes.”

“No way, it’s like hell out there.” Dave stubbornly folded his arms over his chest, lips tugging into a frown. “Rock-paper-scissors.”

Bro seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding, leaning forward and holding out his fist. “All right, on three. One, two, three--”

“Wait, wait, I’m not ready--” Dave protested, fumbling and presenting his hand, fingers pressed together and palm flat. Bro, on the other hand, was scissoring his index and middle fingers with a devilish smirk on his face, and he leaned back, folding his hands behind his head. “Scissors beats the _shit_ outta paper. Get me a blue flavored one.”

The younger Strider threw his hands into the air with a groan, defeated, stomping towards the door and shoving his shoes on. He turned to glare at the others, a stern look on his face. “The two of you damn better behave while I’m gone. I don’t wanna see any hickeys when I get back.”

John blushed while Bro just laughed, and the brunet threw a pillow at his friend’s back as he left. It hit the door. “Dave, don’t be gross!”

“Aw, John, you think I’m gross? I‘m hurt.” Bro pushed up his shades with an over exaggerated pout, sliding closer to him and snaking an arm around his shoulders. John balked and shoved at his arm, shooting him an annoyed look. “Bro, seriously? He’s barely out the door.”

“If that’s your only protest, it’s not an issue. Trust me, he’s already halfway to the lobby.” Bro grinned, wrapping both arms around John’s waist and tugging the boy into his lap - John squirmed, awkwardly attempting to situate himself, hands pressed flat against Bro’s chest. No, maybe that was a bad idea, he thought, Bro’s chest was really broad and warm against his hands and it wouldn’t be good if he got too excited in this position. He paused briefly before wrapping his arms around Bro’s shoulders and leaning in ever so slightly. Bro just watched with a smug smile on his face, earning a soft, frustrated noise from the boy in his lap. “Bro… come on. I’ve never kissed anyone before. Give me some help here.”

“Whoa, wait - really? You never kissed anyone before?” Bro asked, one eyebrow quirking up in disbelief. John nodded, face going red in embarrassment, and the older man chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to one of John’s flushed cheeks. “Hey, don’t look so embarrassed about it, it’s all right. It’s great, as a matter of fact. Means I get to teach you.” Smiling gently, he reached up to cup John’s chin, coaxing him forward again. “Here, tilt your head a little - yeah, just like that. Atta boy. Follow my lead, all right? We‘ll go nice and slow.”

John nodded, and, heart pounding against his chest, he finally met Bro’s lips.

It wasn’t exactly what he’d expected. He’d expected it to be softer, somehow, but Bro’s lips were a little chapped and the stubble on his chin prickled and scratched. It wasn’t enough to make it unpleasant, though, with Bro’s lips gently massaging and working against John’s own, and he decided that he really, really liked kissing. He let out a soft sigh, eyelids fluttering and slipping shut as he pressed closer, and after a moment he had to pull away, swollen lips parted and gasping for breath.

Bro laughed at him, brushing a few stray locks of hair away from half-lidded blue eyes. “Okay, maybe I should have told you beforehand. You have to breathe through your nose when you kiss, baby.”

He muttered in annoyance, cheeks flushed pink. “Shut up. I told you, I’ve never done it before.” Chewing at his lower lip lightly, nervously, John shifted his gaze away from Bro’s eyes. “You can keep calling me ‘baby’, though.”

“Yeah?” The older man’s lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk, and he brushed the backs of his fingers lightly across John’s cheek. “You like pet names?” John nodded a little embarrassedly and Bro laughed under his breath. “Shit, John, that’s too fuckin’ cute. Which other ones do you like? Honey? Darlin’? Lamb? Sweetheart? Pumpkin? Sugar--”

“Stop!” John finally cut him off with a laugh, cheeks burning red and with a pleased look on his face. “They’re all fine but if I blush any harder I’m going to pop a vessel!”

“All right, all right. I’m sorry.” Bro chuckled, threading his fingers through John’s dark hair and tugging lightly. John tilted his head back with a confused little sound that turned into a high, needy keening when Bro latched onto his throat. One of Bro’s arms wrapped around his waist and pulled John closer, flush against his own body. His teeth scraped over sensitive skin and the younger whimpered; Bro petted at the back of his neck soothingly and apologetically, being more careful to mind his teeth as he kissed along John‘s neck.

“No marks,” John murmured, and Bro paused, sitting up and grinning sheepishly.

“Oh. Uh… sorry. Too late.”

John’s eyes widened and he smacked at Bro’s back half-heartedly, laughing. “Bro! Dave’s going to kill us!”

“Dave’s not gonna kill us, he encouraged you to ‘go for it,’ remem--”

John’s face fell, and he gazed at Bro with wide eyes. “…my _dad’s_ going to kill us.”

Bro stopped mid-sentence, mouth agape, ridiculous shades sliding down his nose a bit. After a moment, he pushed them back up, scooping John into his arms and standing. “All right, babe, let me teach you how to hide a hickey.”

\-------------

Of course, Dave spotted a few new marks on John’s neck the moment he stepped back into the apartment. “Goddammit, guys, I gave you one job. I gave you one fuckin’ job and you couldn’t even do it. You couldn’t control your boners for the ten minutes I was gone—“

“More like fifteen, and I think I controlled mine pretty well, considering how fuckin’ cute John looks when he’s straddlin’ me like tha—”

“Bro! Don’t tell him that!”

“But it was fuck damn adorable, you kept squirming around like you couldn’t get comf—“

“I don’t want to hear this!” Dave declared loudly, dropping the bag of Popsicles in Bro’s lap, eliciting a quiet “oof” of pain from the elder brother. “I don’t need to hear about my bro’s dick and I don’t need to hear about my bro squirming around on top of my bro’s dick, for the love of everything holy please just eat your Popsicles. Please.”

“Thanks, Dave,” John murmured, taking a green Popsicle from the bag and trying to hide his flushed face behind it.

Bro grinned, ruffling his hair affectionately. “Come on, Dave, you’re making him blush.”

“Preeeeetty sure a part of that is you, too, Bro.”

“Both of you be quiet, holy shit.” John rolled his eyes, tugging on Dave’s arm and pulling him down to sit next to him on the futon. “You are both super lame and need to just eat your Popsicles.”

“—just need you to eat my Popsicle.”

“Oh my God.”

“Bro, shut the fuck up before his head explodes.”

\-------------

Bro wanted to sleep earlier than the younger two, and they were banished to Dave’s room to amuse themselves so he could pull out the futon.

“You owe me one, you know,” Dave murmured, his shades going askew as he wrestled with his blanket.

John lofted a brow, shooting him an incredulous look. “What do you mean I ‘owe you one?’ You didn’t do shit.”

“No. I mean you owe me one. I went out in that heat to go get Popsicles and you wouldn’t have gotten it on with my brother if I hadn’t, ain’t that right?”

“Well, we didn’t really ‘get it on’ – are you okay? You’re losing to your covers.”

“Yeah, I’m fine, we just do this sometimes. Our love is tempestuous.”

“I won’t butt in, then. Anyway, you had to go get them fair and square. You played for it and you lost because you played paper, one of the weakest fucking objects in this whole vast universe.”

“I didn’t—”

“Yes, you did. I was there and I watched it happen.”

“—I didn’t _win_ on _purpose._ Scissors. They’re like two swords,” Dave explained, a shit-eating grin slowly quirking up the corners of his lips. “That’s why Bro always throws scissors.”

John balked, eyes widening and cheeks burning cherry-red. “I-- wait, you mean you threw the--”

“You’re welcome, John. Just try to keep it down when you sneak in there tonight.”


End file.
